MS Estonia

MS Estonia, previously Viking Sally (1980–1990), Silja Star (−1991), and Wasa King (−1993), was a cruise ferry built in 1979/80 at the German shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg. The ship sank in 1994 in the Baltic Sea in one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century. It is the deadliest European shipwreck disaster to have occurred in peacetime, costing 852 lives.

Construction

The ship was originally ordered from Meyer Werft by a Norwegian shipping company led by Parley Augustsen with intended traffic between Norway and Germany. At the last moment, the company withdrew their order and the contract went to Rederi Ab Sally, one of the partners in the Viking Line consortium (SF Line, another partner in Viking Line, had also been interested in the ship).

Originally the ship was conceived as a sister ship to Diana II, built in 1979 by the same shipyard for Rederi AB Slite, the third partner in Viking Line. However, when Sally took over the construction contract, the ship was lengthened from the original length of approximately 137 metres (449ft) to approximately 155 metres (509ft) and the superstructure of the ship was largely redesigned.

This Strange Engine

Release

It is the first of three albums in three consecutive years that Marillion released on a contract with Castle Communications, after being dropped by EMI Records following the relative lack of commercial success of Afraid of Sunlight in 1995; peaking at No. 16, Afraid of Sunlight had been the band's first studio album not to reach the top ten of the UK Albums Chart. Without the promotional efforts of a major label, This Strange Engine continued Marillion's decline in mainstream success; it reached No. 27 on the UK Albums Chart and stayed there for two weeks. The album sold significantly better in the Netherlands, home of one of the band's most loyal audiences, reaching #10.

Music

Most of the tracks are soft rock styled but relatively lengthy compositions.

The first single released from the album was "Man of a Thousand Faces". A music video was also released of this track. The second single from the album was "Eighty Days". Neither single received any mainstream radio airplay. For the first time, no singles from a Marillion album entered the UK Singles Chart.

Estonia's military says a Russian aircraft has violated its airspace for the ... They added that the plane had not presented a flight plan and had no radio contact with Estonia's air-navigation system....

10.50 p.m ... In Sweden, foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, who hosted talks in March with North Korea's foreign minister, told Swedish radio Tuesday that it was a "victory for diplomacy.". In Estonia, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser underlined "the loosening of sanctions can only follow once the nuclear disarmament process has truly become irreversible."....

10.50 p.m ... In Sweden, foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, who hosted talks in March with North Korea's foreign minister, told Swedish radio Tuesday that it was a "victory for diplomacy.". In Estonia, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser underlined "the loosening of sanctions can only follow once the nuclear disarmament process has truly become irreversible."....

10.50 p.m ... In Sweden, foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, who hosted talks in March with North Korea's foreign minister, told Swedish radio Tuesday that it was a "victory for diplomacy.". In Estonia, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser underlined "the loosening of sanctions can only follow once the nuclear disarmament process has truly become irreversible."....

8.35 p.m ... In Sweden, foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, who hosted talks in March with North Korea's foreign minister, told Swedish radio Tuesday that it was a "victory for diplomacy.". In Estonia, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser underlined "the loosening of sanctions can only follow once the nuclear disarmament process has truly become irreversible."....

8.35 p.m ... In Sweden, foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, who hosted talks in March with North Korea's foreign minister, told Swedish radio Tuesday that it was a "victory for diplomacy.". In Estonia, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser underlined "the loosening of sanctions can only follow once the nuclear disarmament process has truly become irreversible." ... ....